Oil Prices Slip, Boosting Stocks

European shares ended mostly higher Thursday, snapping two days of losses, as a reversal in oil prices brought relief to stocks sensitive to consumer spending and growing fuel costs.

The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index rose 0.4% to 324.41, helped as crude-oil futures turned around during the session. After rising as high as $135.09 in electronic trade, crude dropped over $1 a barrel to $131.65.